Prevention

New Predictors May Determine Metabolic Risk in Kids on Atypicals

Two new studies from a team of investigators suggest two possible predictors for the development of metabolic syndrome in children prescribed second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs)....

Learning About Diabetes, Inc.

  Free Handouts for medical professionals to give to their patients with diabetes.

Monthly Appointments Most Effective for Patients with Diabetes

Diabetes patients who receive regularly scheduled monthly care to learn how to improve their health have a more rapid recovery compared with similar patients who receive only sporadic healthcare visits....

The Three Key Features of High-Quality Primary Care

Americans with access to three key features of high-quality primary care have a lower risk of death....

Superior Diabetes Care Provided in Private Office Practices

Researchers found that residency clinics didn't deliver as much high-quality diabetes care as was found in private-practice physician offices....

Pharmacies Can Help Keep Diabetes Patients on Track

Having pharmacies blow the whistle when patients' diabetes medication adherence sagged was helpful in keeping them on the right track....

Diabetes Prevention Program Can Deliver Modest Weight Loss

The U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program conducted a clinical trial in 2002 showing that modest weight loss through caloric restriction and increased physical activity reduced the incidence of diabetes in high-risk patients by...

Weight Loss Is Not The Answer for Preventing Diabetes

Richard Kahn, PhD, who was the chief scientific and medical officer of the ADA for nearly 25 years stated at a conference that, "Community-based weight-loss programs have not been shown to be effective at reducing the incidence of diabetes, so...

Difficult Patients Benefit from Team Approach

A team-based approach helps improve control of diabetes, coronary heart disease, and depression in the primary care setting by modifying both patient and physician behaviors....

Is Engaging in Intense Exercise for Less Time the Answer?

By Sheri Colberg,...

CDC: Hep B Vaccine Needed for Diabetic Adults

Diabetic adults should be vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV) as soon as possible after the diabetes diagnosis is made....

Early Childhood Factors Can Predict Adult Obesity

Childhood growth patterns, childhood obesity, maternal body mass index (BMI), and father's employment are probable early markers for adult obesity....

Cost of Diabetes Will Be $3.35 Trillion by 2020

The United States of Diabetes: New report shows half the country could have diabetes or prediabetes at a cost of $3.35 trillion by 2020....

Regular Teeth Cleanings Reduce Risk for Heart Attack and Stroke

Oral health may be more connected with cardiovascular health than previously realized....

United States of Diabetes Report

  You can use the information in this report to provide evidence for your ...

Psychology in Diabetes Care, 2nd Ed., Part 10

Edited by Frank J. Snoek and T. Chas Skinner Diabetes in Adolescents

Diabetes Mellitus 101 for Medical Professionals, PART 2

In this week's set of Homerun Slides,...

Antibodies Hold Keys to Diabetes Breakthrough

A new diabetes study in the US is developing a diabetes treatment that could help tackle the disease, and not just the symptoms....

Using Statins for Patients with Diabetes without CVD

For primary prevention in patients with diabetes without established cardiovascular disease, statin therapy could reduce the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, but not all-cause mortality....

ADA Warns against New Driving Restrictions for Diabetes Patients

ADA has warned against blanket driving restrictions, instead recommending individual assessment....

Scientists Discover a New Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Scientists discover that the beta-cells need heparin sulphate to survive....

Letter from the Editor #605

Next week our patients will all be making their New Year's resolutions and weight loss will be one that many of them make. After a month of eating everything the holidays have to offer they will all be looking for the holy grail of weight...

Letter from the Editor - The Best of 2011

It's that time of year when we look back and see what we have accomplished. We feel very fortunate that we have been able to provide you with the best information to help you help your patients with diabetes. Our team has gone through over 900...

Ninety-two Percent of Obese Kids Have a Vitamin D Deficiency

Overweight kids have lower levels of vitamin D than their slimmer counterparts, regardless of season, sex, or race and ethnicity....

Flight and Fight Can Be Key to Weight Loss

Patients' activity in the sympathetic nervous system that controls the fight or flight response appears to predict how well they will do when trying to lose weight....

Editor's Note: AGEs, Errors and Teenagers

Over the past three issues we have focused on advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) -- how they are formed, what they can do, and why these compounds are detrimental to our patients' health. This week in our Homerun Slides, we are...

New Approach to Management of Overeating in Children

The published study describes two new methods for reducing overeating....

Glucose Control May Not Reduce Risk of Heart Failure

For patients with type 2 diabetes, tight glycemic control does not reduce the risk of heart failure....

Family History Underused in Diabetes Prevention Efforts

Type 2 diabetes prevention programs aimed at high-risk individuals with a family history of the disease may underuse psychological and motivational strategies that emphasize genetic susceptibility....

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Staves Off CV Events in High-risk Patients with Diabetes

New data suggests that low-dose supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may protect patients with diabetes and a history of myocardial infarction from ventricular arrhythmia-related events....

Resveratrol Improves Metabolism in Obese Men

Resveratrol, an ingredient found in red wine, may improve the health of obese men....

Commercial Disease Management Programs are Ineffective

Commercial disease management models did not reduce hospital admissions or emergency room visits, or result in cost savings in a study of nearly 250,000 Medicare patients....

FDA Recommends Vytorin for CVD Prevention in Predialysis CKD Patients

An FDA advisory committee has recommended unanimously that the ezetimibe-simvastatin combination pill (Vytorin) be approved for prevention of cardiovascular disease in CKD patients who are not on dialysis....

Banning Soda in Schools Doesn't Work

State bans on sugar-sweetened drinks in middle schools didn't have much impact on kids' overall consumption....

Exercise Impact Lessened Slightly by Metformin in Prediabetes

For men and women with prediabetes, insulin sensitivity increases to a similar extent with exercise training, metformin, or a combination of the two, with metformin impacting slightly on the effect of exercise....

Fiber Use in Teens Lowers Heart and Diabetes Risks

Teenagers who eat a lot of fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables and whole grains, are less likely to have risk factors for diabetes and heart disease....

Free Screenings Can Show One in Four Has Hidden Prediabetes or Diabetes

Free screening by trained volunteers can pick up cases of dysglycemia and other diabetic conditions in the general population....

HBA1c Unreliable for Pediatric Screening

Hemoglobin A1c is not a reliable marker of dysglycemia in overweight or obese children and adolescents....

Diabetes Patients Have Double the Risk for Hepatitis B Infection

The CDC held a hearing on a recommendation that patients with diabetes receive immunization with the hepatitis B vaccine....

An "IRA" for Health Dividends

Losing weight in midlife pays huge dividends later in life....

A Neighborhood's Affluence May Be Linked to Residents' Risk of Diabetes

Moving to a better area can reduce patients' risk for diabetes....

Using Muffins to Diagnose Diabetes

The "muffin test" -- an alternative to the oral glucose tolerance test for detecting impaired glucose tolerance....

Even a Low Level of Physical Activity Helps Cut Mortality Risk in Metabolic Syndrome

For individuals with metabolic syndrome, physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular causes....

Diabetes Medication Compliance a Major U.S. Issue

We need to do a better job. Research by the New England Healthcare Institute shows that patients who don't take their medications as prescribed, cost the U.S. health care system an estimated $290 billion in avoidable medical spending each...

Three Questions Show Type 2 Diabetes Risk

A simple, three-item instrument may be enough to accurately identify those individuals who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes in the next five years....

Behavioral and Educational Interventions Effective for Patients with Poorly Controlled Diabetes

All participants showed glycemic improvement but the structured behavioral group showed greater improvements compared to the other two treatment groups....

Reducing A1c Just 0.5% Leads to a 10% Reduction in CVD Events

Even small changes in A1c and BP could significantly reduce the risk of CVD complications in people with type 2 diabetes....

Frequent Office Visits Improve Outcomes for Patients with Diabetes

Visiting a primary care clinician every two weeks was associated with greater control of blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels among patients with diabetes....

Interactive Mobile App Teaches People How to Manage Diabetes

A new interactive mobile phone app called DiabetesIQ, released this week, challenges people to test their knowledge of diabetes and to compete with one another as they learn about the complexities of the disease....

EASD: Thorough Chewing Raises Hormones Regulating Food Intake

Thorough chewing stimulates the release of 2 intestinal peptides that reduce appetite and food intake in obese individuals, according to the results of a study....

EASD: Elevated Glucose Appears Years before Diabetes Diagnosis

  In patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, elevations in blood levels of glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) can be seen as much as 10 years prior to diagnosis....

Multiple Lifestyle Factors Contribute to Diabetes Risk

Collectively, lifestyle factors, including not smoking, regular physical activity, healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, and normal body weight, are associated with a substantially decreased risk of developing diabetes, according to...

How Long a Person Is Overweight May Decide their Diabetes Risk

Being obese might up the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes, but the true risk factors may lie in how much someone is overweight and how long they've been that way. This is crucial information because we are seeing more obesity in young...

Optimal Range of HbA1c for the Prediction of Future Diabetes

An HbA1c cut-point of 5.7% is a suitable value for predicting future diabetes. It is reasonable to consider an HbA1c range of 5.7-6.4% as a category of increased risk for diabetes, similar to an IFG or IGT....

Start Obesity Screening as Early as Age 2

Screening children as young as 2 years for obesity may be more successful in weight control and preventing metabolic abnormalities than waiting until they are older....

Weight Loss through Cutting Calories Results Less than Expected

Common rules of thumb exaggerate how much weight people will lose from a given dietary calorie reduction, leading to unrealistic expectations and disappointment, researchers said....

Swimming in the Dead Sea Lowers Blood Sugars

Swimming in the salty water could improve the medical condition of diabetes patients, according to new Israeli study....

Pharmacy Coaching Program Improves Diabetes and Hypertension

An innovative pharmacy coaching program from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio has helped a number of patients better manage diabetes and hypertension....

Best Diagnostic Test to Predict Heart Attack Risk

The presence of calcium in coronary arteries is a much better predictor of heart attack and stroke than C-reactive protein among people with normal levels of LDL cholesterol, according to this study....

Moderate Exercise for 15 Minutes Daily Improves Survival 14 Percent

The minimal amount of physical activity to reduce mortality risk is 15 minutes a day of moderate-intensity exercise, according to the results of a prospective cohort study. Each additional 15 minutes was associated with a further reduction...

Value of Intensive Treatment for Early Diabetes Questioned

When early type 2 diabetes is detected by screening, intensive management doesn't seem to cut the risk of certain complications later on, a Danish study indicates....

Lifestyle Changes Prevents Diabetes in Nonobese with Elevated Fasting Glucose

A lifestyle-modification program aimed at changes in diet and increased activity levels seemed to significantly cut the risk of type 2 diabetes that was primarily "overweight" rather than obese and that had elevated fasting glucose levels...

High Dairy Intake in Teens May Reduce Diabetes Risk by 38 Percent

New research has shown eating plenty of dairy foods as a teenager may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes during adulthood....

Two Steps to Predict Future Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

A 2-step model helps predict future risk for type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a validation study....

"Swamp Gas" Protects Blood Vessels from Complications of Diabetes

Hydrogen Sulfide,a foul-smelling gas with an odor resembling that of rotten eggs and sometimes called "swamp gas," is generally associated with decaying vegetation, sewers and noxious industrial emissions. As strange as...

More Muscle Mass Knocks Out Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes

Having more muscle mass can protect against insulin resistance and prediabetes, no matter overall body size, researchers said....

New Technology Helps Patients Manage Diabetes

An interactive computer software program appears to be effective in helping patients manage their Type 2 diabetes using their mobile phones, according to a new study....

Sweetened Drinks Boost Heart Disease Risk

Beverages sweetened with fructose or high-fructose corn syrup can worsen cardiovascular risk factors, even in the young and healthy, researchers have found....

HbA1c Identifies Diabetes, Prediabetes in Acute Care

Optimum screening cut-offs for HbA1c in emergency setting similar to outpatient care....

Americans Listen and Reduce Intake of Sugar-Sweetened Soda

Americans downed nearly a quarter less added sugar in 2008 than they did nine years earlier, a new report concludes....

Dietary Fish Linked to Lower Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Men

Dietary fish consumption is linked to a lower risk for type 2 diabetes in men but not in women, according to the results of a prospective study....

U.S. Pediatrician: Take Obese Children and Put in Foster Homes

Boston pediatrician David Ludwig, the center of a media firestorm recently, wants to set the record straight on his view that a state should intervene in the most extreme cases of child obesity....

OP-ED: Steps Not Calories

Let's forget about listing calories on menus and list the time it takes to burn the calories that you are about to order and eat. What if we listed the number of steps or the time needed to burn the calories you are about to eat rather...

How Repetitive Foods Can Mean Weight Loss

Monotony at mealtime can reduce calorie consumption....

Restaurant Calorie Counts Not Always Accurate

About 20% of meals tested by scientists pack at least 100 more calories than indicated on the menu, a study finds. Some foods are off by as much as 225 calories....

Dentists: The Forgotten Link

Researchers say that dentists can help identify patients with diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions....

Replace Nuts for Carbs Beneficial in Diabetes

Eating nuts every day could help control Type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications....

Personalized Feedback in Diabetes Self-Management Not Always Effective

Canadian researchers were surprised when personalized computer-generated feedback mailed to type 2 diabetes patients didn't help them improve their glycemic control....

Flavonoid in Strawberries May Limit Diabetes Complications

Researchers have shown that fisetin, a type of flavonoid found in strawberries and to a lesser extent in other foods, reduces neurologic complications and kidney damage in type 1 diabetes....

Why Do Patients with Diabetes Walk Less?

Physical activity is a cornerstone of treatment for diabetes, yet people with diabetes perform less moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than people without diabetes....

High Aspirin Dosage May Curb Heart Attack Risk in Diabetes

New research from scientists in Canada has revealed that taking aspirin every day could offer benefits for those managing their diabetes....

Zinc Helps with Type 2 Diabetes

Zinc may perform a protective function for those with type 2 diabetes, researchers at the University of Michigan suggest....

Menu Labels Don't Influence Students' Food Choices

Menu labels on college cafeteria food -- highlighting the good and the bad of various meal options -- make no difference in students' choices, a new study concludes....

Young Adults Want a Medical Home, National Survey Finds

by Daniel Schultz, PharmD Candidate UF College of Pharmacy   In spite of perceptions that they consider themselves young and invincible, a recent poll by the American Academy of Family...

A Low-Fat Diet May Not Increase Diabetes Risks

A low fat diet has led some doctors to worry that Americans would instead start eating too many carbohydrates but a new study suggests that eating low-fat doesn't have to increase carbohydrate-fueled health risks....

Adherence to a Hypertensive Diet Associated with Lower BMI in Adolescent Girls

Adolescent girls whose diet resembles one recommended for adults with hypertension appear to have smaller gains in overall body mass index (BMI) over 10 years....

European Patent Granted for Monthly Epinex Diabetes Test

New patent issued for a monthly diabetes test that can help to prevent complications....

New Polypill Data Predicts a Halving of CV Events

The first randomized, placebo-controlled study of a polypill has suggested that use of such a product in primary prevention could bring about a halving of heart disease and stroke events....

High-Fat Diet During Pregnancy Programs Child for Future Diabetes

A high-fat diet during pregnancy may program a woman's baby for future diabetes, even if she herself is not obese or diabetic....

Possible New Treatment for Prediabetic Patients

A natural product called DLPC (dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine) increases sensitivity to insulin and reduces fatty liver....

Omega-3 Fats Tied to Lower Diabetes Risk

People who get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in their diets may have lowered odds of developing type 2 diabetes, two new reports suggest....

Combining Paxil and Pravachol Can Raise Blood Sugar

Combining two drugs commonly prescribed to treat depression and lower cholesterol can raise blood sugar to potentially harmful levels, according to a study released this week that was based partly on a search of computerized...

How Important Is Fat Distribution?

In obese individuals, the distribution of adipose tissue both on the body, and in the liver and skeletal muscle is an important predictor of insulin sensitivity....

Broccoli Sprouts Have Benefits for Diabetes Patients

Broccoli sprouts may boost antioxidant defenses in people with diabetes....

One Reason Patients Don't Follow Doctors' Orders: The Emotional Barriers to Weight Loss

  by Tricia Greaves, President,...

New Study Pushes to Expand 'Prediabetes' Label

Having normal blood sugar levels is no guarantee against developing type 2 diabetes down the road, according to researchers. What should we do with a person with a fasting blood sugar on the higher end of normal between 91-99 mg/dL who has...

Lowering Fat Intake Might Stave off Diabetes Even without Weight Loss

Small differences in diet -- even without weight loss -- can significantly affect risk for diabetes....

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes with Early Pharmacological Intervention

According to Ralph DeFronzo, it is never too early to prevent diabetes....

"Fasting Pathway" Points the Way to New Class of Diabetes Drugs

A uniquely collaborative study by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies uncovered a novel mechanism that turns up glucose production in the liver when blood sugar levels drop, pointing towards a new class of drugs for...

Americans Not Working Hard Enough

Despite repeated calls over the years by public health officials for people to increase exercise and physical activity, Americans are walking and cycling only a little more now than they were a decade ago....

Start Obesity Screening as Early as Age 2

Screening children as young as 2 years for obesity may be more successful in weight control and preventing metabolic abnormalities than waiting until they are older....

Stress Predicts Development of Impaired Glucose Metabolism

Perceived stress and stressful life events predict the development of impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) over 5 years in previously normoglycemic individuals, according to results from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle study...

Study Find that People Who Stay Up Late Eat More, Eat Worse

Staying up late at night can lead to an additional two pounds a month weight gain....

Self-Monitoring Eases Doctors' Reluctance to Start Insulin

Glucose monitors and at-home record-keeping improved outcomes for orally managed diabetics with poorly controlled disease -- by prompting their doctors to put them on insulin faster....

Kidney Risk Determined Early in Life

Lifestyle decisions made before age 30 appear to determine a person's risk of developing chronic kidney disease many years down the road....

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Diabetes Risk

Lower levels of vitamin D circulating in the bloodstream are tied to a higher risk of developing diabetes....

Paying People to Lose Weight Works

Paying obese patients to lose weight does work....

A1c of 5.8 Percent in Children a Better Diagnostic Target to Diagnose Diabetes

Utility of A1c of 6.5% for diagnosing pre-diabetes and diabetes in obese, questioned....

Diet Reverses Kidney Failure in Experimental Model

A controlled diet high in fat and low in carbohydrate can repair kidney damage in diabetic mice....

Treating Diabetes Can Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other vascular risk factors may help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people who already show signs of declining thinking skills or memory problems....

New Guidelines on Best Treatments for Diabetic Nerve Pain

The American Academy of Neurology has issued a new guideline on the most effective treatments for diabetic nerve pain....

Engaging Patients with Technology for Sustained Behavior Change

Neal Kaufman, M.D., M.P.H.  Today, more than at any other time in our history, the general population of the U.S. is addicted to sugar, salt, fat, and inactivity. While these addictions are dangerous for the general public, ...

Essential Oils for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Ivory A. Gordon, Pharm.D....

Get Your Kids Moving, Too

Oprah's Outpouring: A Bittersweet Commentary on Responses to Her Diabetes Show

Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN,...

Preventing Medication Errors

Institute for Safe Medication Practices

Why We Need to Attack the Diabetes Problem with Lifestyle Changes -- and Why We Need to Do It Now

By Sheri Colberg, Ph.D., FACSM

Get Involved with the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan in 2010

By Sheri Colberg, Ph.D. How many of your...

HIV-infected patients are at an increased risk for developing Diabetes

More and more patients with HIV are controlling their disease well. When viral loads are under control, patients often are seen by clinicians for other problems. Diabetes seems to be one of those problems that get a lot of attention. My current...

Risks for Drug Induced Pancreatitis

With all the press lately about the incretin mimetics and pancreatitis our current intern, Jennifer Webb, PharmD Candidate, FAMU has taken a look at the facts, and compared the chances of pancreatitis among classes of drugs and how the risk of...